The Gone

I liked it when the detective hero loses a fight with a passing teenager right at the start. Refreshing not to have the lead character a super-hero who outfights everyone.

We then get a glimpse of New Zealand society. In particular the life of the Maori.

How they were ill-treated in the past, and are still far from equal.

And also real imperfect characters. Different from each other.

We start with one mystery, and then several more crop up.

The season ends with at least one mystery cleared up. More for Season two, I assume.

And some excellent scenery. Places where real people are living and having complex lives.

I really enjoyed this drama, it had suspense and beauty to add to this enjoyable story. It had left us with some questions that hopefully will be answered on season 2. But the acting was great and believable, the New Zealand countryside was amazing and added to the suspense of the storyline. I feel for the characters and how their lives are intertwined, and also the Maori culture is brought out in the storyline is interesting as well. It's an interesting twist of suspense and culture. The last couple of minutes of the last episode was rather scary and has me hanging on waiting for the next season.

I really enjoyed this series, and it was perfect for bingewatching on a rainy weekend.

As a fan of Scandinavian-set noir crime series, I've been looking forward to The Gone, and to see how it would work. I wasn't disappointed.

The weaving of Kiwi and Irish themes, cast and cultures worked really well. Sometimes, this approach can feel forced but for The Gone it felt authentic and relatable.

Wonderful Kiwi cast and New Zealand scenery. Leads felt like a good match and were genuine and relatable.

The plot line wasn't overworked, but there were still enough twists and turns to keep me hitting 'Next episode'.

Like most Kiwis I suffer from cultural cringe, and I was only watching because I know someone who knows someone on the show.

Therefore I was pleasantly surprised by a mostly well acted crime drama. Yes, there are some clichés like the cop with a troubled past, and someone returning home to their small town to confront some unresolved family dramas. Acushla-Tara Kupe is very good as Diana Huia. Richard Flood does a solid job. There's a nice blend of Maori culture and language.

The story is well-paced, and New Zealand's scenery makes an impression as always. I hope it finds an appreciative audience overseas, we're too harsh on our own.

I watched The Gone last night. My husband and I found the episode wonderful. It was beautifully shot. It utilised New Zealand's scenery in a way that added to the suspense and drama of the episode. It brought the whole episode to life. The script and plot were both very good; plot line was rich and involved, which my husband and I enjoyed. The Irish police officer in particular was cast well. We are looking forward to the next episode. The NZ / Irish angle added an interesting dimension and worked well. If only New Zealand could support more local productions of this quality. Congratulations to everyone involved!